


Tea Boy

by HonkBeep



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ba Sing Se, Gen, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Partially Blind Zuko (Avatar), Protective Iroh (Avatar), Ursa (Avatar) is a Good Parent, Zuko (Avatar)-centric, sorry jet, ursa in ba sing se
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:54:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26998528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HonkBeep/pseuds/HonkBeep
Summary: “ Ursa was on her fourth cup of tea, but she refused to leave until she made up her mind about that boy. Maybe it was a mother’s intuition, but she couldn’t convince herself that this tea server wasn’t her Zuko.”Ba Sing Se is the city of refuge.
Relationships: Iroh & Ursa (Avatar), Iroh & Zuko (Avatar), Ursa & Zuko (Avatar), Ursa (Avatar) & Original Female Character(s), Ursa (Avatar)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 33
Kudos: 465





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> currently has two chapters and i am begging for inspo from the comments because i want to continue this but idk what to do with it so please leave me a comment with your ideas i am begging you. as always, i just shat this out into my notes app and thought “hey, it was fun to write, maybe it’ll be fun to read” so i don’t take constructive criticism but i do hope you enjoy. have a nice day :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> and so it begins ...

Ursa was on her fourth cup of tea, but she refused to leave until she made up her mind about that boy. Maybe it was a mother’s intuition, but she couldn’t convince herself that this tea server  wasn’t her Zuko. 

I mean, of course he wasn’t, there were a million reasons why, and she tried to tell herself that. His hair was different, his voice was different, his face was different, his clothes were different, not to mention Zuko was crown prince of the Fire Nation! There was no reason for him to be in Ba Sing Se. But then again, the censorship in the city meant that she hadn’t been able to keep up to date on the royal family since she left the Fire Nation — six years ago. Maybe things had changed. 

Besides, there were so many things about this boy that screamed royalty; his posture, his handwriting, his mannerisms, his features. 

She was startled out of her own thoughts by a loud burst. A boy slapped the door open and marched into the tea shop with a pair of hooked swords drawn and ready for a fight. 

“I’m tired of waiting!” He yelled through his teeth. A stalk of wheat was clenched tightly in his bite. “These two men are firebenders!” 

He pointed his sword at Ursa’s tea boy and glared. An older man who Ursa assumed to be the other accused “firebender” appeared from the kitchen, attracted to the commotion. 

“Young man,” he started. “You are confused. We are just a pair of refugees!” 

Wheat boy pretended not to hear him, instead flashing his swords around again and yelling, “I know they’re firebenders! I saw the old man heating his tea!” 

“We work in a tea shop!” Tea Boy exclaimed, slightly incredulous. Wheat Boy decided not to hear him either. Instead, he advanced down the aisle and held his swords threateningly. “You’ll have to defend yourself.” His face was twisted in a cruel smile as he continued pressing forward. “Go ahead, show us what you can do.” 

Ursa found herself already on Tea Boy’s side, her heart racing in fear that she would see the young man hurt at the hands of another. She clenched her jaw and eyes went wide then when Tea Boy responded, “You want a show? I’ll give you a show!” 

From behind the counter, Tea Boy drew his own pair of dual blades. Ursa recognized them as dao. Two halves of the same sword. 

Wheat Boy appeared angry that his “firebender” was prepared with an alternate method of self defense. In what appeared to be a challenge, Wheat Boy hooked his sword around the leg of an unoccupied table and pulled it out in between him and his opponent. Tea Boy didn’t hesitate to slash it in half and sweep the obstacle to the side, jumping up to avoid a leg sweeping blow from Wheat Boy in the same movement, landing in an offensive position. 

This display of both swordsmanship and agility caused an image to flash through Ursa’s mind, even in the heat of battle. The image was of her children. Back in the Fire Nation, back in the royal palace. It wasn’t long before she left, Zuko was 10, Azula was 9, and they were play fighting in one of the courtyards. Zuko was holding a pair of sticks like swords, and had them raised up, ready to attack. Azula had just aimed a blue fire blast at his feet and the flames underneath him still lingered, but he was jumping up in the air, ready to advance on his sister the second he landed. A somewhat satisfied, somewhat surprised smirk was on his face, like he was amazed that he was able to even get one hit in on his younger sister, but glad that he knew it was gonna be a good one. 

The vision only lasted for a split second, but when Tea Boy landed and came swinging at his opponent, he had that same smirk. And Ursa knew. It took her four cups of tea and a sword fight to know for sure, but now she knew. Tea Boy wasn’t just Tea Boy. Tea Boy was her son. Tea Boy was Zuko.

So many questions and emotions filled her head that she practically missed the next bit of the fight. What was he doing in Ba Sing Se? What about the Fire Nation? Where did he get that scar?

It took the commotion of the fight spilling out the back door and into an alley to pull Ursa back to the present. She had the rest of her life to ask questions. She had to see her son  now . 

All of the patrons gathered around outside the door to watch the fight. “You must be tired of using those swords. Why don’t you go ahead and firebend at me?” Taunted Wheat Boy. 

“Please, son! You’re confused! You don’t know what you’re doing!” Cried Ursa’s once-brother in law.  _The Dragon of the West_ _._ Ursa thought, but the intensity of the fight going on before her demanded her full attention. She would have to puzzle over what the hell they were doing in Ba Sing Se later. 

“Bet you wish he helped you out with a little fire blast right now!” Wheat Boy continued, but Zuko took advantage of his distraction and advanced on to him. “You’re the one who needs help!” He spat. 

“You see that? The Fire Nation is trying to silence me! _It’ll never happen_!” Wheat Boy cried out, and the very idea of such a thing seemed to fill him with so much rage that he was able to surge forward and get a hit in on Zuko through sheer force of will. The cut was small and probably minor, but Ursa couldn’t help putting a hand over her mouth in shock. That was her son! Six years worth of motherly love hit her all at once in a rush of devotion, caring, and protectiveness and it was all she could do to keep herself from pushing past the crowd and finishing off Wheat Boy herself. 

“Drop your weapons.” The cool command of the Dai Li agent was enough to pull Ursa out of her own head and she was relieved to watch the two boys pull apart. “Arrest them! They’re firebenders!” Wheat Boy demanded. “This boy is confused! We are just simple refugees!” Exclaimed Iroh. 

“This crazy boy broke into my tea shop and assaulted my employees!” Cried another man, who Ursa assumed was Pao. 

“It’s true, sir. We saw the whole thing.” Added one of the members of the crowd. 

The Dai Li appeared satisfied with that quick trial of public opinion, and Wheat Boy was quickly apprehended, leaving Zuko, Iroh, and the rest of the tea shop standing there quietly. 

Ursa was frozen where she stood until she heard Iroh’s quiet, soothing voice. “You’re hurt, nephew.” The Dragon of the West put a hand on Zuko’s shoulder, near a blossoming red stain. “It’s not that bad.” Argued Zuko, but Iroh paid him no mind. “Come, let’s take you back home and get you cleaned up. We can leave Pao to clean up this mess.” 

The pair started to walk off and Ursa’s heart skipped a beat as they began to disappear in the dispersing crowd. “Wait!” Ursa cried, but the two firebenders decided not to hear her in favor of slipping away from the scene quietly. Ursa dashed after them into the street and began following them, but she quickly realized that she had no idea how to approach them. Zuko was hurt and Iroh needed to take care of him, it probably wasn’t the best time to introduce herself. 

Ahead of her, Zuko stumbled and threw his arm over his uncle’s shoulder just in time to keep him from falling. Both grunted in pain and it took Zuko a moment to right himself, grumbling. 

“Zuko, are you alright? Have you lost a lot of blood? What is the matter?” 

“I don’t know. I feel ... dizzy. Something’s not right, but I don’t know what.” 

“Well let’s get you home so you can rest.” 

Ursa continued to trail the pair as they went on their way again, this time more slowly, with Zuko’s arm over his uncle’s broad back, head hanging low. 

This gave Ursa the chance to think for a. bit. It really was him! It really was Zuko.  _Her_ Zuko. She wanted nothing more than to bound up and wrap her arms around him and tell him how much she loved him and missed him and promise him that they would never be separated again. But she couldn’t do that right now, and she knew it, so she instead suppressed her motherly urges and tried to puzzle over the situation. 

Why were Iroh and Zuko in Ba Sing Se? Iroh had denied that him and Zuko were firebenders, even though Ursa knew for a fact that they both were, and neither wore their hair in their traditional Fire Nation styles. Were they undercover? Posing as refugees to get information on how to finally penetrate the walls of Ba Sing Se? Were they working on dismantling the city from the inside? Ursa knew the government was corrupt, she wouldn’t be surprised if the Dai Li were secretly working with the Fire Nation. That would explain why they’d just captured the boy who’d accused them of firebending. Yes, that was definitely possible ... but why would Iroh and Zuko be the ones sent to do the job? Why not trained spies? Members of the royal family could be recognized. So no, they couldn’t be spies. 

She ran scenario by scenario through her head but none of them stood out. And they all ignored one crucial detail; where had Zuko gotten that scar? 

It was impossible not to notice, and Ursa felt her heart clench just thinking about it. Her son, her baby boy, her child. His beautiful, refined, sensitive face, with the high brow and cheek bones and the well placed features — destroyed. Ruined. Disfigured for life. 

She mourned the loss of his porcelain skin that had been so soft to the touch. She remembered how delicate it had felt while she was wiping the tears from his eyes after his cousin Lu Ten’s death. Now it was nothing more than a mangle of muscle and scar tissue, and Ursa couldn’t imagine it felt much softer than the skin of a komodo-rhino. 

She remembered how his eyebrows had always been so expressive. He could move them independently of one another, and would spend hours contorting his face into different expressions to no end. He would use them to make Azula laugh when she was a baby, and when he got older he would revel in the fact that it was the only thing he could do that she couldn’t. Now, his one eyebrow was seared clean off, and the other was furrowed. 

In her memories, his eyes were bright. He was curious and hopeful. But now, the delicate, minute facial muscles that used to make his eyes crinkle when he smiled were cauterized in that position, leaving his once-shining eye in a permanent, angry slit. Ursa would be surprised if he could see much out of it. She’d noticed him guarding that side a lot more heavily during his fight with Wheat Boy. 

The scar was old, too, and another, unexpected pang shot through her heart. How old had he been when this happened? What could have possibly happened to him in the six years she was gone? He was a child! He was then and he still was now! She knew Ozai was cruel, but he couldn’t possibly be that cruel, could he? 

Her thoughts were cut off by the sound of a body hitting the pavement. It was Zuko. A soft grunt escaped him as his ribcage took his weight and Iroh was over him in a second. “Zuko! Zuko? Nephew, what happened?” 

Ursa realized that she would have to walk past them if she didn’t want them to realize she’d been following. She maintained her pace, unable to tear her eyes off the pair, but as she got closer, she just couldn’t do it. She knelt down next to her son and decided to play the role of the concerned passer-by. “Is he okay?” She asked, resisting the urge to wrap the boy up in her arms and cry into his shoulder right there in the street. 

Iroh didn’t look up. “I don’t know,” he said. “He got in a fight and sustained a minor injury, but he is acting like he is badly hurt. I need to get him home, but I did not anticipate him passing out like this.” 

Ursa’s heart was racing. Iroh didn’t recognize her! What was she going to do? After taking a calming breath, she decided that all she could do right now was help her son. 

“Here, let me help you.” She said, and leaned over him. She cradled his upper body in her arms and pulled him to a sitting position, silently reveling in the physical touch, the first she had had with her son in six years. She was immediately shocked at how light he was, as if his body was hollow and all she was carrying was a shell held together by sinew and muscle. She didn’t want to imagine what he possibly could’ve been through to leave him so empty. 

When she got him to sit up, she held him steady by the shoulders and looked into his face. Iroh put his hands on the boy’s back, supporting him from falling backwards. He made small grumbling noises in response to her movement and his good eye would occasionally crack open as his head bobbed, not strong enough to hold itself up but not willing to hang limp. Ursa could tell he was slightly conscious. At least he wasn’t out cold. If she could just get him to stand, her and Iroh could support his weight and hopefully his legs would have enough muscle memory to walk along with them. 

She said as much to Iroh, and he agreed it was their best bet. She went to snake her arm underneath his, but the Dragon of the West stopped her. “Wait,” he said. “My nephew cannot see very well out of his left eye. Life as a refugee has been hard for him, and he fears being taken advantage of. I’m sure you mean us no harm, but I believe my nephew would feel more comfortable with a familiar face on his weak side. Please, let me.” Iroh tenderly scooped up his nephew’s left arm and waited for Ursa to mirror him. “Okay, Zuko, we are going to help you to your feet. On the count of three, you must stand up, do you understand?” Iroh said quietly. Ursa could tell it was meant for her too. “One, two, three.” Iroh breathed and together they heaved Zuko to his feet, eliciting a groan from the boy. 

He leaned heavily on them, but he did not fall. Iroh continued murmuring instructions and praise and comforting words into his nephew’s mangled ear as they took their first tentative steps forward and Zuko followed, his feet clumsy and heavy, but getting the job done. 

All Ursa could focus on was her son; his breathing, his steps, the tightness of his grip on her shoulder, the way the unmarked side of his face looked up close and a million other details that she drank up. 

When they finally got to what Ursa assumed to be their apartment building, Iroh gently guided and coaxed Zuko up the stairs, and finally, over the threshold to their home. 

There were no lanterns or candles lit but Ursa could tell by the light of the city and stars through the window that the apartment was only one room. There were two cots, one against the far wall underneath the window and the other directly to the left as one entered through the door. Iroh led them to the closer one and gently sat Zuko down on the edge of the bed. Then, he pulled Zuko closer to himself and layed his upper body down flat before bringing his legs up to rest on the mattress. Ursa just stood there as the old man removed her son’s shoes and tenderly smoothed his hair, leaning into his face, closing his eyes and taking a pained sigh. 

Finally, he stood up, grabbed some spark rocks and lit a few candles. “Thank you so much for your help, Madam ... “ he looked to Ursa questioningly, waiting for her to fill in the blank. “Ursa.” She said quickly. 

“Yes, thank you very much, Ursa. I am Mushi, and this is my nephew -“ Iroh seemed to realize that he had been referring to the boy as “Zuko” the whole night and couldn’t possibly expect Ursa to accept his fake name now. He decided to just end the sentence with, “this is my nephew.” But it was obvious he was tripping over his words. 

“You don’t have to do that, Iroh.” Said Ursa. The Dragon of the West froze where he was standing, arms full of bandages and medical supplies, and turned his head towards her. He got a good look at her for the first time and his mouth hung slightly open. “Ursa...” he breathed. “What are you doing here?” 

Ursa chuckled warmly. “Taking care of my son and looking out for my brother in law.” She gently took the first aid supplies from Iroh’s shocked hands and floated over to the bed, unbuttoning Zuko’s bloodied shirt. 

“I thought you were...” 

“Ba Sing Se is the city of refuge. Would you please get me a warm washcloth?” 

“I - yes.” Said Iroh. He poured some water from a pitcher into a basin and closed the blinds before firebending the water warm. Ursa dabbed at the gash in her son’s shoulder. “I think the bigger question is what are  you two  doing here? Why aren’t you in the Fi-“ Iroh cut her off with a loud  _shhhhh_ . “Please, I will tell you everything, but these walls are very thin, we must not say anything that could be incriminating.” He whispered. Ursa nodded her understanding. 

He pulled a chair up to the side of the bed and stroked his nephew’s hair while Ursa cleaned his wound. Occasionally, Zuko’s face would scrunch in pain at his mother’s ministrations, but he did not wake. 

“Can I offer you a cup of tea?” Iroh felt slightly helpless watching someone else take care of Zuko and he didn’t know what to do with himself. He decided to focus his energy on being hospitable and kind. 

“I would love one.” Ursa said with a smile. Her kind face put Iroh more at ease and he gave her a smile of his own. “Ginseng or Jasmine?” He said, opening the cupboard. “Jasmine, please.” Iroh chuckled. “Jasmine is Zuko’s favorite, too. But he’ll never admit to liking tea.” 

“I guess he hasn’t outgrown his stubbornness in the time I’ve been gone.” 

“I’m afraid he hasn’t, but he is as stubborn as he is hardworking and loyal.” 

Ursa chuckled sweetly. “I’m glad he hasn’t changed. You know, I was sitting in that tea shop for hours trying to convince myself that it wasn’t him, but I just couldn’t. Now I know why.” She looked down at him with such love, such devotion, it even made Iroh’s heart clench. Her fingers traced his face endearingly, but stopped when they got to the edge of his scar. 

She looked up at Iroh, almost pleadingly. “What happened to him? Please, tell me it was an accident. I feel so much guilt for leaving my kids behind with that man, please take this burden off my shoulders.” 

Iroh sighed and shook his head. He had thought about how Ursa would react to seeing her scarred son before. He had always just assumed (hoped) it was never going to happen. How was he supposed to tell her that the man she married had burnt off half of their child’s face in cold blood? The best he could come up with was, “I’m afraid I can’t do that, Ursa.”

His sister in law’s face nearly broke him. There was horror and regret and hate and sorrow in her eyes that were so often full of nothing but kindness. Iroh took a pained breath, handing Ursa her tea. “I’m sorry.” He said, as if that could ever be enough. “Much has happened since you left, and I’m afraid that very little has been good. I have done my best to protect him, but I am an imperfect man, Ursa. But you mustn’t blame yourself. You did the right thing. All that has happened since is out of your control.” 

Ursa sat back and stared into her tea. “I know... but seeing him like this, I can’t help but feel that I’ve failed as a parent.” She put her hand over his now-bandaged shoulder. 

Iroh thought of Lu Ten. He knew exactly how she felt. He knew that no amount of kind words would take her pain away, so he tried to focus on the positives. “Zuko may be scarred, but he does not let it hold him back. He is strong and resilient, just like his mother.”

Ursa smiled sadly as she swirled her tea. “You’re very kind, Iroh. But... will you tell me what happened? Even if I can’t change the past, I’d like to know it.” 

Iroh didn’t know what to say. He decided to let the words fall out of his mouth before his head had a chance to review them. “My brother is a cruel man.” He said finally. “Zuko spoke out of turn at an important meeting. His father challenged him to a duel, but Zuko misunderstood. He accepted under the belief that he would be fighting someone else. When he saw it was his father, he refused to fight and begged for mercy, which his father saw as inexcusable cowardice. He was burned as punishment, and banished from his home.” 

He said it quickly, trying to make the moment be over as quickly as possible. He hung his head and looked away. He didn’t want to see the look on the poor mother’s face. 

After several moments, she spoke. “Is ... is that what you’re doing in Ba Sing Se? Living out your banishment?”

“Not exactly. Zuko was banished, but with conditions. His father said that if he was able to capture the Avatar, he would be welcomed home with honor. Zuko took this very seriously, and we have been hunting down the Avatar for the last three years.”

“Three years? But the Avatar has only been discovered in the past six months.” 

Iroh sighed with pain. “I know. It was a fool’s errand. Zuko was never meant to return home. But the Avatar gave him hope. He needed to come to his own conclusion about his father. But then, of course, the Avatar returned, and any progress he made was gone. He was determined to capture him.”

Ursa could tell there was more to the story, so she remained quiet, waiting for Iroh to finish. 

“When news of the Avatar’s return reached the Fire Nation, Zuko was no longer the only one who wanted him in chains. The Avatar was captured by a man named Admiral Zhao, and Zuko was devastated. The Avatar was his only chance to return home, and now it was gone. But Zuko would never accept defeat. He infiltrated the prison and freed the Avatar — an act of treason. That is what we are doing in Ba Sing Se; hiding from the Fire Nation.”

Ursa nodded silently, sipping her tea. “I see. I think we should all get some rest. Do you mind if I spend the night here?” 

“Of course not. Please, make yourself comfortable.” Iroh began to get out of his cot, but Ursa set her cup on a nearby table and began to curl up in the same small bed as Zuko. “Ursa, please, you are more than welcome to take your own bed. I do not mind sleeping on the floor at all.” 

“That’s very kind of you, Iroh, but tonight I’d like to be close to my son.” Ursa brought the blanket up to her shoulders and closed her eyes, leaving Iroh to put out the lights and go to sleep. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ursa has a big conversation 
> 
> trigger warning//
> 
> there is a very brief, non-graphic description of rape like so brief that you could miss it on accident but its there so this is your warning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE comment ideas for how this fic should continue!!! I think it’s super cool and funky fresh and I love it but I seriously have zero ideas for how anything should happen. I really want to keep writing this but I just don’t know what to write. So please be a homie and comment ideas so I can keep going thank you!!!

When Ursa woke up the next morning, she did so to the smell of jasmine tea and jook. She opened her eyes and smiled at the sight of Zuko’s face beside her before sitting up and greeting Iroh, who was standing at the modest stove cooking their breakfast. She noticed that he had three bowls sitting out to serve and turned to examine Zuko. 

She grimaced. His face was pale and sickly, his eyes looked sunken, and there was a stain on his bandage; it needed to be changed. “How is he doing?” Asked Iroh. Ursa hesitated for a minute, listening to his breathing. It sounded like something was rattling around in there. “Not good.” She said. “He looks worse than before. I don’t know what that boy did to him but whatever it is, it’s hurting him bad.” 

Iroh peeled back the dirty bandage and winced. The wound was a sickening black.Then his face turned to one of dread. “Oh,” he said gravely. “I have seen this before...” 

Ursa perked up. “You have?” 

“Yes, in my military days. Earth Kingdom soldiers sometimes put poison on their blades to make their attacks more lethal. Jet must have done the same thing. I have seen these symptoms on many wounded soldiers.” 

“Oh no, poison?!” Ursa put her hands on her son’s chest and stared into his eyes.

“I am afraid so. That Jet fellow is a very clever young man; he used Du Jan poison, same as the Earth Kingdom armies. Only firebenders are affected by this poison. If we were to seek treatment, our identities could be exposed.” 

Ursa looked down at her ailing son and back up at her concerned brother in law and made a decision. “I think I know someone who might be able to help.” She said. 

“You do? Who?” 

“Her name is Min. She’s a healer for animals here in the lower ring, but she knows her stuff. She’s helped me when I was sick before and I know she’s trustworthy.” 

She could see Iroh digesting the situation in front of her. “Of course I trust your judgment, Ursa, but I am still rather apprehensive about getting outside help. If we were to be discovered, all three of us would face horrible consequences. How do you know this healer is trustworthy?” 

Now came the awkward part. Ursa didn’t know what to say. She looked away and fiddled with her hands behind her back, playing with her big toe tracing patterns on the rough wood floor. “Well I... I’ve known her for a long time, ever since I came to Ba Sing Se six years ago and... she’s really trustworthy.... and she’s kind of... my wife...” 

Iroh looked shocked, but quickly righted himself. “Your wife? So she knows about... everything? Your past?” Ursa looked away again. “...Not exactly. But if it’s the only chance Zuko has, I’ll tell her everything. I should have told her a long time ago.” 

Iroh gave her a nod. “I trust you, Ursa. Go find her and tell her everything. I will stay here with Zuko.” Ursa nodded. She leaned over Zuko’s unconscious form and gave him a kiss on the forehead with the tenderness only a mother could provide. “I’ll be back, my love. I won’t leave you again.” She promised him. Then she stood up, gave Iroh a bow, and went to find Min. 

She found she was only about a ten minute walk from her own apartment and she made her way home with her mind full of ideas of what she was going to say.  _“Min, I have a son and he needs your help.”_ No, that was too direct.  _“Min, how do you feel about firebenders?”_ No, she couldn’t do that one. What if Min hated firebenders?  _“Min, it’s time I told you about my life before I came to Ba Sing Se.”_ That one was a contender. She found herself on her own threshold in no time. 

“Ursa, you’re okay! You didn’t come home last night, I was so worried! What happened to you? Are you alright? Where did you sleep? Why didn’t you tell me?” Min was all over her checking to make sure Ursa still had all her limbs and wasn’t gushing blood anywhere but Ursa pushed her off playfully and smiled. “Min, I’m fine, I promise, I was perfectly safe and in good hands the whole night. But something happened and... I need to talk to you. Can we sit down?” 

Min looked up at her with big, confused, eyes. “If course we can, sweetheart, what happened?” 

“Min, it’s time I told you about my life before I came to Ba Sing Se. This is something I should have told you a long time ago, and I understand if you’re upset with me for not telling you earlier, but I need your help right now. Can you promise me you won’t breathe a word of this to anyone?” 

Min’s big, beautiful, eyes were open wide in alarm and confusion, but she nodded her head. “I promise, Ursa. Whatever your past is is over, I love you now. I didn’t marry the version of you that existed outside Ba Sing Se, I married you now, and so long as you stay the same old you, I will always love you.” 

Ursa’s nervous eyes softened and her pounding heart slowed as she was reminded why she married this woman. “Thank you, Min.” She said. Then she took a deep breath. 

“The first thing I have to tell you is that I am not from the Earth Kingdom. I’m from the Fire Nation.” 

Min gasped. “The Fire Nation?” 

Ursa hung her head. “Yes, the Fire Nation. I did something horrible there, and I was banished. Ba Sing Se is the only city the war hasn’t touched, so it was the only place I could go.” 

Min was a people pleaser and good at hiding her emotions, but even she couldn’t suppress a look shock at the notion that Ursa, tender, gentle, Ursa, could do something bad enough to get herself banished from the Fire Nation. This was the same woman who refused to kill bugs that were in the house! She would trap them underneath a piece of paper and a cup and release them outside! Covering her mouth with her hand, she nodded for her love to continue. 

“You see, I was forced to marry a very powerful man whom I didn’t love. I was forced to marry Ozai.”

Min allowed herself to gasp this time. “The Fire Lord?!” She asked, horrified. 

“He was only the prince at the time, but yes. He treated me so poorly and he would force me to his bed and hit or burn me if I didn’t do the things he said. I was so unhappy with him but... Min — we had children; two of them. A boy and a girl. I was still unhappy but my children made my life bearable. But then Ozai did something awful.”

Ursa paused to wipe a rouge tear from her cheek. She was trying so hard to stay composed but her eyes were betraying her. 

“He asked Azulon to change his will and name him as his sole heir. You see, his older brother, the rightful heir, had just lost his only child — his son. He was grieving and spent a long time away from home. Ozai decided that since he was present and his children were alive, he should be next in line for the throne. My father in law — Fire Lord Azulon — was so furious that he would even suggest betraying his firstborn son ... that he ordered Ozai to sacrifice his own.”

Min had been quietly listening so far but she covered her mouth with her hand when she heard that. Ursa continued. 

“I wasn’t going to allow my child to suffer and die because of the arrogance of his father. I had to do something, and it was terrible. Min,” Ursa whispered. “I killed Fire Lord Azulon.” 

Min was frozen. She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know how to react. How was someone supposed to respond to something like that? 

“Min? Say something, please.” 

Min took a deep breath to compose herself before speaking. “You did it to protect your son. I understand. That was very brave of you, Ursa.” She said shakily. 

Ursa closed her eyes and let the tears run down. “I hated it. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. That’s why I came here. I can never show my face in the Fire Nation again. I murdered the Fire Lord.” 

Ursa cried silently for a few moments. 

“Why are you telling me this? What does this have to do with what happened last night?” Asked Min, when her wife had composed herself. 

“Because,” Answered Ursa, dabbing at her eyes. “My son is here. He’s in Ba Sing Se! He’s with his uncle, but he’s hurt, and he needs a healer. I know you work with animals, but you’re the only one we can trust to heal him. If anyone were to find out he’s a firebender, we could all be imprisoned by the Dai Li. Can you help him?” 

Min didn’t know what to think. Her head was spinning. There was so much new information swirling around her head like a fishbowl. Her wife was a murderer? She was a step-parent? Her step-son was a firebender?? “I will try.” She said, sincerely. 

“Thank you, Min.” Ursa brought her into a tight hug. “Now come, let me take you to him.” 


End file.
